Propulsion gear for ship&#39;s boat



May 16, 1939.

l. AR. FLEMING ET AL PROPULSION GEAR FOR SHIPVS BOAT Filed Jan. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1939 l. R. FLEMING ET AL 2,158,414

PROPULSION GEAR FOR SHIPS BOAT Filed Jan. 2"?, 1938 zsheets-sneet 2 $6/ g5 Mg@ Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT FFECE PROPULSION GEAR. FOR SHIPS BOAT Ivan Rupert Fleming and Frank Elder Fleming, Liverpool, England 3 Claims.

vThis invention is for an improved propulsion gear for ships boats, which term is used in this specification to include cutters, pleasure boats, landing barges and similar light craft, which are capable of being propelled by hand-propelling gear only. The present invention is concerned with a propulsion gear for ships boats of the type which includes a manual gear in which a series of manually-operated levers are coupled to a common propeller shaft having a screw propeller. The preferred type of hand-propelling gear is the known type comprising handles which are reciprocated in a vertical plane and spaced apart iore-and-aft of the boat on both sides of the main frame of the boat, the handles being pivoted at or near their lower ends on, for example, pivots secured to the buoyancy tanks at the sides oi the boat, and a coupling bar common to each set of handles is directly connected to a crank on a transverse shaft at the after end of the boat, which shaft has gearing meshing with a gear on the propeller shaft sc that the propeller shaft is driven by the occupants of the boat reciprocating the driving handles.

The invention is particularly concerned with ships lifeboats which are used under conditions of panic at sea, and when a large number of the occupants of the boat are liable to be unskilled persons. It has been proved that when the boats have to be launched in a maritime disaster the occupants are mostly panic-stricken and quite incapable of handling oars with the expertness required to manipulate the boat on high seas; this condition of being unable to contribute to their own safety lowers the resistance of the occupants to shock from exposure with irequently fatal results. The hand-propelling gear of the known type referred to has the great advantage that the occupants of the boat can be set by a single person in command to reciprocating the hand levers as the boat is lowered so that the propeller is rotating when the boat reaches the water and a quick get-away at this danger point is obtained. After the initial successful launching and get-away, conditions of fatigue are likely to prevail through working the levers and one of the objects of the present invention is to obviate such conditions by employing a prime mover such as a compression ignition engine as a supplementary to the hand-propelling ear.

g Compression ignition engines are at present used in ships lifeboats but special precautions have to be taken for maintaining such engines in good Astarting condition when stowed in the davits. For example, one precaution is to heat the water jackets of the cylinders electrically from a wiring system along the boat deck. Even, however, with these precautions cases have arisen in which the compression ignition engine cannot 5 be started owing to the failure of the mechanical starters and to the lack of space available for manual swinging of the engine to start it. A further important object of this invention therefore is to interlink an engine of the compression flo ignition type (which is favoured at sea on account of the absence of risk oi re) with the hand-propelling gear, whereby the mechanical effort available from the hand-propelling gear can be used to swing and start the compression 415 ignition engine, thus the eiiort oi many unskilled occupants in the boat can be pressed into useful service.

A further object of the invention is so to interlink the prime mover and the hand-propelling gear that while the prime mover cannot drive the hand-propelling gear and the levers associated therewith to the danger of the occupants, yet the occupants can supplement the power of the engine if, for example, the latter encounters .25 an exceptionally heavy load and its revolutions are reduced so that it is about to fade out under such heavy load, at which point the aid of the hand-propelling gear may boost the compression ignition engine for a short time to keep the latter `30 runnmg.

A further object of the invention is to centralise the control oi the propulsion of the boat at the after end thereof and to enable all conditions of forward and astern movement, and of .35 interlinking the compression ignition engine and hand-propelling gear to be controlled by a single lever.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings whereon:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gear mechanism,

Figure 2 is a plan View of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an outline diagram of the lifeboat p45 in side elevation, showing the position of the propulsion gear and a single control member therefor,

Figure 4 is an outline plan view of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a diagram of the gear mechanism,

Figure 6 is an outline diagram of the gear mechanism shown in Figures 2 and 3 with the various control members coupled to a single hand control device, and

Figure 7 is a plan View of Figure 6.

The propulsion gear includes a gear mechanism comprising a gear casing I which is in two parts II and I2 and constitutes an oil bath in which the mechanism works. The part I I of the casing is provided with bearings I5 for a transverse shaft I 6 provided at its opposite ends with cranks I1 which are out of phase with each other by 90 degrees. The cranks I1 are coupled to a hand propelling gear for propelling the boat, which Will be described more fully hereafter. A crown wheel I8 is journalled loosely on the shaft I6 and has formed integrally with it one element I9 of a unidirectional driving mechanism, the driving member 20 o-f which is fixed on the shaft I6. The member I9 (see Figure 5) also forms one part of a driving clutch, the other part 2I of which is fixed against angular movement on the shaft I6 but is movable axially thereon into and out of engagement with the clutch faces 22 of the element I9. This axial movement of the clutch member 2| is effected by a bell crank lever 23 pivoted at 24 and engaging a groove 25 in the clutch member as indicated at 26. The bell crank lever 23 is coupled to an yoperating rod 21 (see Figure 2) which is connected to a hand control means as hereinafter described. A ratchet wheel 28 is fixed on the shaft I6 and pawls 29 and 30 are engaged selectively with the ratchet Wheel by means of an operating rod 32 (see Figure l). When the pawl 29 is in engagement with the ratchet wheel the hand ycontrol gear can rotate the shaft I6 in one direction only and when it is desired to reverse the direction of rotation the pawl 29 is released from the ratchet wheel and the pawl 3U is engaged therewith. It will be appreciated that when the operators of the hand propelling gear feel that the mechanism is locked against reciprocation in one direction they will immediately start to operate the driving means in the reverse direction. A power shaft 33 is journalled in the part I2 of the casing and is coupled to a Diesel engine 34 by means of a coupling 35. A clutch element 35 is xed on the shaft 33 for rotation therewith and is axially adjustable on the shaft into and out of engagement with a co-operating clutch member 31 which is rotatable on the shaft 33 and carries a driving pinion 38. The power shaft 33 is coupled to an intermediate Shaft 39 and is driven thereby to start the engine, through a uni-directional clutch comprising an element 49 xed on the shaft 33 and an element 4I mounted on the shaft 39 for rotation therewith and axially slidable on the shaft into and out of engagement with the element 48 so that the driving connection between the shaft 33 and the shaft 39 through the unidirectional clutch 49, 4I can be broken entirely when desired. The clutch elements 35 and 4I are operated by levers 42 and 43 respectively, which are coupled to operating rods 44 and 45 (see Figure 2). The driving pinion 38 meshes with a gear wheel 46 fixed on a lay shaft 41 .iournalled in the casing I2, and a pinion 48 on the shaft 41 meshes with a gear wheel 49 fixed on the shaft 39, to transmit a drive from the shaft 33 to the shaft 39. The shaft 39 is provided with a bevelled pinion 56 which meshes with the crown Wheel I8 and the crown wheel drives the shaft 5I of a propeller 52 through a bevelled pinion 53 fixed on the propeller shaft. 'I'he propeller shaft passes into the gear box through a stuffing box 54.

The hand operating gear which is of a wellknown type is shown diagrammatically in Figures 3 and 4 and comprises a series of vhand operated levers 55 pivoted at 56 and coupled to common driving members 51. The driving members 51 on opposite sides of the boat are connected respectively by 'connecting rods 58 to the cranks I1 so that as operators seated on seats 59, reciprocate the hand levers 55 the shaft I6 is rotated.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows:

Assuming the lifeboat is to be maneuvered away from the ships side the clutches 36, 31 and 40, 4I, are disengaged and the clutch element I9 is put into engagement with the clutch element 2I so that there is a solid driving connection in both directions between the shaft I6 and the crown-wheel I8. Under these conditions the propeller 52 is driven entirely by the hand operating mechanism and the officer in charge of the boat can control the direction of movement thereof ahead and astern, by operating the pawls 29 and 30. When it is desired to start the engine 34 the clutch I9, 2|, is disengaged and the clutch element 4I is moved into engagement with its co-operating clutch element 4l). Under these conditions the hand propelling gear still continues to drive the propeller 52 in the ahead direction through the uni-directional clutch I9, 29, which is arranged to provide a driving connection in this direction and at the same time a drive is transmitted through the shaft 39, clutch 49, 4I, and shaft 33 to the engine 34. Once the engine starts it can over-run the shaft 39, due to the uni-directional clutch 49, 4I so that there is no possibility of the hand operating gear being driven by the engine which might result in accident to the operators. To transmit the power of the engine 34 to the propeller 32 the clutch element 36 is moved into engagement with the element 31 so that the driving pinion 38 is rotated by the engine and drives the propeller shaft 5I through the shaft 39, pinion 59, crown-wheel I8 and bevel pinion 53. In these circumstances the operators of the hand propelling mechanism may rest and release their operating handles so that the boat is propelled entirely by the motor 34 or the operators may reciprocate their handles and assist the engine if it starts to slow down. It will be appreciated of course that to assist the engine the shaft I1 must be rotated at a speed sufficient to keep the clutch element 29 in engagement with the element I9. Once the engine is running the uni-directional clutch 49, 4I, may be disengaged. It is not of course essential to disengage the clutch 40, 4I, inasmuch as this is a uni-direction drive but by making one of the clutch elements movable wear on the uni-directional clutch is substantially eliminated.

In the above description the various clutches and the direction control mechanism 28, 29, 30 have been described as operated independently but it is desirable in a lifeboat that all these mechanisms should be connected together so that they can be operated in a predetermined relationship from a single control member. Preferably this single control member is so arranged that the oiiicer in charge of the boat can control the rudder with one hand and the gear mechanism with the other. An arrangement for operating the various control members 24, 29, 38, 42 and 43 in synchronism, is shown diagrammatically in Figure 5 and the general lay-out of this part of the mechanism is shown diagrammatically in Figure 6 and Figure 7.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 5, 6 and 7 the pawls 29 and 39 are connected to a common lever 6l) and the levers 23, 42, 43 and 60 are operated respectively by cams 6I, S2, 63 and 64 mounted on a shaft 65 provided with an operating handle S6. lhe cams are so arranged that the several levers are operated in synchronism, the first angular movement of the handle 66 engaging the clutch 2l, 22 and the pawl 29, a further small angular movement of the handle disengaging the pawl 29 and engaging the pawl 30 without disengaging the clutch 2l, 22. This enables the boat to be manipulated from, for example, the ships side with the hand-propelling gear only. When it is desired to start the engine a further angular movement of the handle disenagages the clutch 2i, 22 and engages the4 clutch 453, 4l and at the same time ensures that the correct pawl is in engagement with the ratchet wheel 28 to ensure rotation of the crown wheel I8 in the ahead direction. When the engine has started the handle is given a final movement which engages the clutch 36, 31, and disengages the clutch 4l), 4l. All the above movements are obtainable by operating a single control, viz., the handle 66. The control mechanism comprising the cams, the cam shaft and the operating handle may be located in a control box 61 at the stern of the boat and the cams may operate the rods 21, 32, 44 and 45 through bell-crank levers 68 as shown in Figure 6.

What is claimed is:

l. In a ships lifeboat having a screw propeller on a propeller shaft and a manually operated gear for driving the propeller shaft, the combination with the said manual gear of a prime mover, means for coupling the prime mover to the propeller shaft, a one-way driving device located between the prime mover and the hand propelling gear to prevent the hand propelling gear being driven by the prime-mover when the latter is working, a clutch device for coupling the hand propelling gear to the prime mover for starting the latter, a forward and reverse gear for controlling the forward and reverse movement of the hand propelling gear, means for de-clutchng the prime mover from the hand propelling gear when the latter is driven in reverse, operating means for the said clutches and reverse gear, a single control lever for controlling the forward and reverse gear and the interlinking of the prime mover with the hand propelling gear, and coupling means between the said control lever and the respective operating means for the said clutches, whereby the entire propulsion system can be controlled by said single control lever.

2. The combination claimed in claim l, and further comprising a clutch device located between the hand propelling gear and the prime mover, operating means therefor, and means coupling the said operating means to the single control lever, whereby the prime mover may be cut out and the propeller-shaft driven by the hand propeller gear only.

3. In a ships lifeboat having a screw propeller on a propeller shaft and a manually-operated gear for driving the propeller shaft, the combination with said gear, of a prime mover, means for coupling and uncoupling the prime mover and the propeller shaft, a one-way driving device located between the prime mover and. the hand propelling gear to prevent the hand propelling gear being driven by the prime mover when the latter is working, a forward and reverse gear. f'or controlling the forward and reverse movement of the hand propelling gear, operating means for said clutches and reverse gear, a single control lever for controlling the forward and reverse gear and the interlinking of the prime mover with the hand propelling gear, and coupling means between the said control lever and the respective operating means for the said clutches, whereby the entire propulsion system can be controlled by said control lever.

IVAN RUPERT FLENIING. FRANK ELDER FLEMING. 

